Simple Analysis Used in Diagnosis and Follow-up of Schizophrenic Patients (Patent)

Dopamine acts as neurotransmitter in the central and peripheral sympathetic nervous system. Determination of dopamine (DO) was performed by spectrophotometric analysis depending on the formation of new colored compound. The proposed procedure was efficient in quantitative determination of DO as pure material in pharmaceutical preparations and in urine samples. DO concentration in urine sample of patient confirms the affection with schizophrenia and the proposed procedure was used to facilitate diagnosis and followup of schizophrenic patients. It is recommended to apply the proposed procedures as routine analysis in pharmaceutical companies for quality control and in analytical laboratories to diagnose and follow up schizophrenia

The progression of chronic renal failure: An unmet challenge

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Natural History of Chronic Kidney Disease Stages 2-4

Introduction: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a worldwide problem. The majority of patients in stage 3-5 CKD progress relentlessly to end stage renal disease (ESRD). This study aimed to measure the rate of decline in kidney function among a group of CKD patients and to examine risk factors associated with disease progression. Methods: This is a retrospective study of 300 CKD patients in stages 2-4, that were randomly selected from patients who were on regular follow up in Sheffield kidney institute (SKI), Sheffield, UK, up to June 2007. Patients whose estimated glomerular filtration rate (GFR) declined by more than 1 ml/min/year according to the MDRD formula during a 5-year follow up period were classified as progressors. Baseline parameters that may be associated with a more rapid decline in GFR were evaluated. Results: Males constituted 57.7% of the study population, one third of patients were older than 65 years of age, 93% were white and 39.7% were diabetic. The study showed that 52.7% of patients had a progressive course of CKD. Gender, old age, ethnicity and diabetic status were not significantly different between progressors and non-progressors. Progressors tended to have higher 24-hour urinary protein excretion (2.6 ± 3.6 versus 1.8 ± 3.5 g/dl) and higher blood pressures measurements at baseline that did not reach statistical significance. The slope of reciprocal serum creatinine (1/S. Cr) was significantly and negatively correlated with systolic blood pressure (SBP). It was also significantly and negatively correlated to baseline serum creatinine. Conclusion: Almost half the patients had a rate of decline in estimated GFR that exceeded 1 ml/min/year and were classified as progressors. Key words: CKD progression; ESRD; progressors; non-progressors

Thermal Fragmentation and Rearrangement of 3-phenyl-4-aryl-5-phenylimino-1,2,4-oxadiazoline Derivatives

Thermal fragmentation of 3-phenyl-4-aryl-5-phenylimino-1,2,4-oxadiazolines I and II (Ar= Ph, p-tolyl) in a sealed tube under nitrogen gives rise to benzonitrile, arylamines, anilides, phenols, arylureas, and benzimidazole derivatives. In the presence of naphthalene as solvent, I gave α- and β-naphthols beside the previous products. Also, heating of I under reflux in boiling anhydrous tetraline lead to the formation of 1-hydroxytetraline, α-tetralone and 1,1’-bitetralyl as the major products. The isolated products have been interpreted in term of a free radical mechanism involving the homolysis of N-O and/or C-N bond

Monitoring Heavy and Trace Metals in Selected Children\u27s Food

High or low levels of essential and trace elements in foods typically eaten by child re n (potato chips, karate [a crispy puffed corn paste], biscuits and cakes) may cause significant health problems. In this study, the amounts of 13 elements (Ca, Cd, Co, Cu, Cr, Fe, K, Mg, Mn, Na, Ni, Pb and Zn) were estimated in samples collected from supermarkets in Aswan City, Upper Egypt. Food samples included, 28 kinds of potato chips, 44 kind of karate, 15 kind of biscuits and 13 kind of cakes. One hundred samples were analyzed. The results showed that potato chips have the highest level of Cu, K, Mg, Na, and Pb, but they have low level of Ca. On the other hand, karates have the highest Na concentrations. Also, biscuits and cakes have high Pb levels. It is strongly recommended that the food industry in Egypt pay more attention in supplying and in technological management of snack food products to avoid the exposure of children to dangerously high or low levels of elements

Comparison of Open Wedge High Tibial Osteotomy versus Unicondylar Knee Replacement for Medial Knee Osteoarthritis

Introduction: Medial knee osteoarthritis is a source of debilitating pain. Varus malalignment is associated with a 4-fold increase in unicompartmental osteoarthritis. Current non-surgical treatments include patient education, weight loss, analgesics. Two contemporary surgical treatment options for medial knee osteoarthritis are available and each procedure has its merits. These are based on different principles: high tibial osteotomy (OW- HTO) where correction of knee angular deformity with slight valgus overcorrection is the goal and unicondylar knee replacement (UKA) surgery’s aim in replacing damaged articular surface. Aim: To review clinical outcomes of two matched populations between open wedge high tibial osteotomy (OW-HTO) and unicondylar knee (UKA). Material and Methods: This was a prospective study of two matched populations at two different centres, employing different techniques for managing medial knee compartment osteoarthritis. The OW-HTO centre had recruited 19 patients over February 2012 to December 2013. The TomoFix® knee osteotomy. The unicondylar knee replacement (UKA) centre had 22 patients over June 2012 to August 2013 and used the Oxford™ partial knee system in these operations. Conclusion: In conclusion, this study shows that open wedge high tibial osteotomy and unicondylar knee replacements have no significant differences in oxford scores at 6 weeks and 6 months

Genetic variation among Northern and Southern Egyptian buffaloes using polymerase chain reaction-random amplified polymorphic DNA (PCR-RAPD)

The domestic water buffalo is a species of great economic potential, especially in developing countries like Egypt. Egyptian buffalo have been classified according to minor phenotypic differences and their geographical locations. Few studies have taken place to investigate the genetic variations in Egyptian buffalo using  microsatellites analysis. In the present study, 11 random primers were analyzed for the genetic diversity  determination between Northern and Southern Egyptian buffaloes using polymerase chain reaction-random  amplified polymorphic DNA (PCR-RAPD) analysis. 169 bands were amplified for the analyzed 11 random  primers, from which 160 bands (94.67%) for North populations and 168 bands for South population (99.41%).  Out of the 160 amplified bands in North populations, 152 bands were polymorphic with a percentage of 89.94% and only one specific band (0.59%). In South population, all 168 amplified bands were polymorphic, nine bands (5.33%) were specific for this population. The identity index and the genetic distance between North and South populations were measured. The results showed that the two tested populations have the same origin and  belong to one breed without significant genetic difference between their animals.Key words: Buffalo, genetic diversity, polymerase chain reaction (PCR), random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD)

ENHANCING ORAL BIOAVAILABILITY OF CARVEDILOL USING SOLID DISPERSION TECHNIQUE

Objective: Carvedilol (CRV) is a beta blocker drug that is basically used for the treatment of hypertension, heart failure and arrhythmias. The objective of this study is to increase the oral bioavailability of CRV by using solid dispersions to enhance its solubility and dissolution rate.Methods: Various preparations of CRV-solid dispersions (SDs) and physical mixtures (PMs) were prepared using different carriers; polyethylene glycol (PEG) 4000, polyvinyl pyrrolidone (PVP) K30 and tartaric acid. Effect of type and concentrations of carriers on solubility and dissolution of CRV were studied. Selected CRV-SDs and PMs that showed the best solubility and dissolution were exposed for further investigations e. g. Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). In addition, the oral antihypertensive activity of the optimized formula compared to pure CRV was evaluated in induced hypertensive adult albino male rats.Results: All carriers enhanced the dissolution rate of CRV. Tartaric acid had the most persuasive effect on the rate and the extent of dissolution of CRV, followed by PEG4000 and PVP. FTIR, DSC and XRD diffraction revealed an interaction between CRV and tartaric acid with the possibility of a polymorphic change in CRV. The optimized formula CRV-tartaric acid (SD 1:0.3) causes a marked increase in the antihypertensive activity compared to pure CRV.Conclusion: Tartaric acid is a promising and efficient carrier for improving the solubility, dissolution and oral bioavailability of CRV.Keywords: Carvedilol, Solid dispersion, Physical mixture, Hypertension, Oral bioavailabilit